Staying Sharp With Microsoft

Normally the first thing I do on a Windows system (after installing 40,000 updates and restarting three times) is install Firefox. A number of non-Microsoft habits follow, including using Google as my search engine. Well, I’m not going to do that anymore — at least not in Windows.

From now on, when using my Windows system (Vista + Office 2007 in VMware), I’m going to use nothing but Microsoft solutions — Internet Explorer, Windows Live Search, etc. And I’m also going to experiment more with their latest products.

The idea here is to force myself to remain exposed to Microsoft’s solutions. I like Active Directory. I like Office. Microsoft has potential, and I’m doing both myself and my clients a disservice by shunning their offerings due to their spotty past.

So that’s the new rule: whenever in Windows I’m going to do everything the way that Microsoft would want me to, just to see how it goes. If I remain unimpressed by Microsoft’s offerings after honestly giving them a chance I’ll at least have gained the ability to articulately discuss their shortcomings based on current experiences.: